Travel Like a Pro even if You Have Back Pain

Welcome to my first guest post! If you’ve ever experienced back pain while traveling then you need to take a look at this article. So! Without any further ado, I’d like to introduce you to Mr Back 🙂

Who is Mr Back??

Mr. Back is a 26 year old student that has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and currently studying the PhD Physical Therapy program.

His main focuses have been on back-related issues and he loves to share his strong passion for how the human body works!

Are you afraid of hitting the road when suffering from back-pain? If you unaware of your own limitations and doesn’t dare to give it a try, you might be missing out a lot of things in your life.

Traveling can be done in many forms and some will impact your back more than others. Sitting on a train for 8 hours or in an airplane is surely not going to do you any good since it will strain your muscles in the back and leave a lower stream of oxygen to the muscles, making them feel “uncomfortable”.

The luggage can play a huge part in the impact on your back pain. There are some things you might want to keep in mind that can give you an advantage over the back pain. The most obvious thing is to not have any luggage at all, or have someone else carry it. The more realistic option is to have either something with wheels or something that is dividing the burden between both shoulders. You should also opt to pack as light as possible.

You also shouldn’t be shy to ask for help, it’s not more strange than holding up the door for someone in a wheelchair actually.

It can be pretty obvious to choose a backpack, but it is actually a lot of decision making in choosing your backpack. And if you end up bringing just a “normal” backpack on a long trip with a lot of walking, your back will hate you!

There are three main types of backpacks;

Daypacks

In general, daypacks are soft-backed or frameless. Daypacks are lightweight and intended for light loads (10 to 15 pounds). Good daypacks have hipbelts to prevent the load from thumping on your back with each stride.

External frame packs

Also used for big, heavy loads, these packs are best for walking on trails (as opposed to skiing, climbing or bushwhacking). That’s because the package is hung off a simple exterior frame, so the load is positioned farther away from your back.

And though this might result in a wobble-fest for climbers or skiers, people who carry big loads often love them.

Internal frame packs

Internal frames are generally narrower and closer fitting (than externals), they’re the best choice for any sort of dynamic activities like climbing, skiing, or bushwhacking, where you need a tight center of balance.

There are also some things that you can bring in order to ease your back pain. One example is painkillers and another one is a heating pad or a neck massager. A lot of neck massagers are cordless and some are really optimized for travel.

Also try to get comfortable immediately and never spend a second being uncomfortable sitting down. Then it’s always better to get up and move around to create blood-flow. You can also try to distract yourself from the pain. I am still a naive believer in the benefits yoga have on back-pain since it both help to stretch out your body and keep your mind relaxed.

Back pain is tough in any life situation. But with these travel tips, you’ll be on your way to a more comfortable travel. Remember to direct any questions to your doctor.

About Me

Hi! I’m Michelle, I’m a Kiwi girl born and bred, living in Nottingham, England with my husband and travel buddy. We both have a passion for History and travel and we often choose our destinations based on the history of the area. I started this blog to connect with fellow travelers, document my own travels and pass on my own tips and tricks that I’ve picked up along the way.